BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thailand’s Health Ministry warned that the coming summer would be hotter than usual, urging citizens and businesses to prepare as severe thunderstorms moved across the north of the country.
Health authorities brace for hotter-than-normal summer
The Department of Medical Services (DoMS) called for vigilance, saying it expected temperatures in the coming months to exceed last year’s stress levels. Deputy Director-General Dr. Akkarathan Jitnuyanon linked the trend to global warming and urged firms to adjust their operations to the anticipated heatwave.
“This development is due to the global rise in temperatures,”
said Dr. Akkarathan Jitnuyanon, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Medical Services.
Doctors highlight rising heat-related health risks
Medical experts said extreme temperatures put a heavy burden on the human body. Dr. Jitnuyanon warned that the risk of heatstroke was set to increase rapidly under the forecast conditions.
At the same time, the heat was expected to worsen existing illnesses, particularly cardiovascular problems and chronic respiratory diseases. People with pre-existing conditions were told to exercise special caution in the coming weeks.
Five high-risk groups under special scrutiny
The health system focused on five specific risk groups. Older people, small children and pregnant women were described as especially sensitive to thermal stress.
People with chronic illnesses and those without adequate cooling or access to clean drinking water were also classified as vulnerable. The ministry advised shifting physical activity to the cooler morning hours and avoiding the direct midday sun.
Unstable weather pattern fuels storms and humidity
A complex interaction of air masses currently shaped the country’s weather. A high-pressure system from China met moist winds from the Gulf of Thailand in the northeast.
This constellation triggered local severe thunderstorms and squalls. While the rain brought temporary cooling in some areas, subsequent evaporation raised humidity and created oppressive sultriness.
Rough seas disrupt shipping in the south
Conditions also remained tense along southern coasts. Strong winds whipped up the sea, producing waves of more than two metres in the lower Gulf of Thailand.
Captains and fishers were urged to steer well clear of thunderstorm zones and to follow weather reports continuously. Meteorologists expected only a temporary easing of wind conditions from 21 February, before new low-pressure systems would move into the north.
Long-term challenge: making Thailand climate-resilient
The current medical warnings were seen as necessary but raised more fundamental questions. Officials asked whether individual advice such as drinking more water was still sufficient if extreme heat periods became the new normal.
Thailand now faced the task of making its infrastructure and working life climate-resilient instead of merely reacting to each new alert. The debate centred on how much adaptation society could sustain before the climate fully dictated its rhythm.